Kite



y 1965 G. H. RIDER ETAL 3,

KITE

Filed Oct. 19, 1962 3 Shqets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS GEORGE H. RIDER MAURICE 0. BUTLER A TTORNE Y5 July 13, 1965 s. H. RIDER ETAL 3,

KI'I'E Filed Oct. 19, 1962 s sheets-sheet 2 PLANE 0F NEGATIVE INCIDENCE NOMINAL NEGATIVE wows/v05 42 l/ NCIOENGE PLANE 0F ROTAT/ON INVENTORS GEORGE H. RIDER BY w Fig. 5 a

A T TOR/VEYS y 1965 G. H. RIDER ETAL 3 9 KITE Filed Oct. 19, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS GEORGE h. RIDER MAURICE 6. BUTLER A r rogzvsrs United States Patent 3,194,521 KITE George H. Rider, 7242 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, Calif., and Maurice C. Butler, 2611 Bur'gener Blvd, San Diego,

Calif.

Filed Oct. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 231,797 1 Claim. (Cl. 244-154) The present invention relates to a kite of the type that simulates a helicopter or autogyro.

The kite of the present invention includes an elongated fuselage having horizontal and vertical stabilizers at the rear thereof. A vertically extending bearing in the form of a shaft is carried by the fuselage intermediate the midsection and forward end thereof. The rotor blade of the kite is journaled'on the bearing and connected in such manner so as to provide iimited swing movement of the blade, in the mean plane of rotation of the blade, relative to the bearing, connected in such manner so as to provide limited vertical'movement of the blade relative to the fuselage, and connected in such manner so as to have limited turning or lateral twisting movements of the blade about axes lying substantially longitudinally of the blades.

In one of the embodiments illustrated, the rotor blade is provided with a substantially horizontally disposed, resilient section which connects the inner end of the blade with the hearing, which section permits limited vertical movement of the blade with respect to the fuselage and which permits'limited lateral twisting movement of the blade. Also'this section is 'pivotally carried by a hub, and the hub is provided with stops for limiting the swinging movements of the blade with respect to the hub.

'In another embodiment of the invention, the inner end of the blade is connected to the hub by lost motion connections which provide: (1) for swinging movements of the blade inthe mean plane of rotation of the blades, ('2) for verticalmovements of the blade relative to the fuselage, and (3) for turning movements of the blade about an axis lying'substantially longitudinally of the blade. In this embodiment shoulders are provided for limiting said swinging, said vertical, and said turning movements.

Further features .and the advantages will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a left side view of the kite, showing, in dotted lines, the coning angle of the blade and showing in a dot and dash line the horizontal datum line of the fusela'ge;

FIG. 2 is 'a front view of the kite;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the kite and showing in dotted lines the drag articulating angle of the blade;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the blade in cross section, illustrating the nominal negative incidence, the mean plane of rotation, the chord line and the axis about which the blade rotates;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing, in dotted lines, the blade twisted to two positions, one twisted to one side and one twisted to the other side of the nominal negative incidence;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view of another embodiment of the invention showing how the blade is connected with the hub through lost motion connections;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the lost motion connections per se illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, but on a larger scale; and

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the'elements forming the lost motion connections shown in 'FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the elements beinglocated at approximately one hundred and eighty degrees from that shown in FIG. 8.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the kite is shown at 20 and includes, generally, a fuselage 22 having a front portion 24 which simultates .a cockpit, a rear portion 26 which simulates a passenger compartment. The fuselage also includes an elevator 28 and a vertical fin 30 which provides, respectively, horizontal and vertical stabilizers which may be adjusted in any suitable manner. A post 32 extends vertically intermediate the cockpit 24 and'the passenger compartment '26 and provides a bearing in the form of ashaft 34, the axis of which extends vertically. Any of the well nown landing gear may be employed; such landing gear is herein shown in the form of pontoons 36 which are carried by brackets 38.

A hub 40 is journaled on the shaft 34 and, in the embodiment illustrated, it carries rotor blades; in the example illustrated, three such blades '42 are provided. The hub 40 includes an upper disk 44 and alower disk '46. These disks carry three vertically extending pins '48 which are equally spaced from one another about the axis of the shaft 34.

Each of the blades '42 is provided with a substantially horizontally disposed, resilient section 50, the inner end of which is pivotally mounted on a pin 48so that swinging movement can be imparted to the blades in the mean plane of rotation ofthe blades as'they are moved about the axis of the shaft .34. Stops 52 are disposed on one or both or the disks 44 and 46 for limiting the extent'of swinging movement that can be imparted .to the blades. The sections '50, being resilient, permit, but limit flexing of the blades horizontally as indicated by the dotted lines 500 and Stia', the extent of movement being herein defined as the coning angle. Also, the sections 50 being resilient, permit but limit lateral twisting of the blades to opposite sides of the normalnegative incidence.

In the embodiment, the center of gravity of the kite is indicated at 5'4 and the axis of the shaft 34 lies intermediate the center of gravity and the front end of the cockpit '24. As viewed from FIG. 2, the axis of the shaft 34 is "disposed exactly vertically. However, in certain cases where it may be necessary to counteract unstabilizihg forces, the rotor shaft'may be tilted'to'one side or the other, either temporarily or permanently as required. As viewed from the side of FIG. 1, the shaft axis is near vertical, approximately at right angles to the horizontal dataum line'56 of the fuselage or maybe at an angle tilted slightly aft was to expose the rotor blades to the prevailing wind with the fuselage at low angles of attack.

Several positions are made available at the forward and lower edge of the fuselage for attaching a tow line. For this purpose a plurality of holes 58 are provided at the front end of the fuselage and disposed rearwardly of one aonther. The position chosen for attachment through one of the holes 58 is dependent on the required flying trim attitude of the particular model.

Each blade 42 forms a suitable section which may be a flat elongated plate, which is set at a negative angle of incidence to the plane of the rotor rotation that is, at a line drawn at right angles to the axis of the rotor shaft. This negative angle of incidence must have a value which provides sufiicient pitch to enable the rotor assembly to auto-rotate when the kite is facing the wind with a positive angle of attack and at the same time provide sufficient lift through the blades to lift and support the kite and the tow line. Thus, although the blades are rotating in the plane of the rotor at a negative angle of incidence, the blades are providing the necessary lift.

As previously stated, the outer end or tip of each blade is free to move up or down so as to form a coning angle as indicated by dotted lines 590 and 59d. The' resiliency of the section 50, however,;is limited to provide for restricting the movement within the coning angle, to prevent damage of the fuselage or tail flying surfaces when the blade is rotating in the downward position, yet permitting rotational start when each blade is forced upwardly.

Each blade is hinged on a pin 48 so that it is free to swing in the mean plane of rotation, but it is limited in such swinging by the stops 52. This swinging enables each blade to advance or retard between the positions indicated at dotted lines and 50b in the mean plane of rotation as aerodynamic drag decreases or increases. This blade swinging is known as the drag articulating angle defined by the lines 50a and 50]). Such restriction of the drag articulating angle is limited whereby smooth balanced rotation is obtained. As is more clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, while the blades are set nominally at a predetermined negative angle of incidence, as illustrated in FIG. 4, due to the flexible sections 50, each blade is free to twist to change the angle of incidence more or less negative as aerodynamic forces demand. The resiliency of the flexible sections are such so as to restrict the extent of twisting to angles which will enable the rotor assembly to auto-rotate in the wind and still provide the required lift for the kite.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 inclusive, all the main elements heretofore described, the fuselage, the elevator, the fin, the landing gear and the shaft 34 may be the same as that disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 5, but in this embodiment, instead of employing a resilient section for connecting the blade with the hub, there is provided lost motion connections between the blade and the hub. The blade is herein shown at 142 and the hub is shown at 144. When three blades are employed, the hub is provided with three pairs of cars 145, one pair for each blade and the pairs of cars are equally spaced from one another about the axis of the shaft.

The main body of the hub is provided with three radially extending sockets 147 and each socket provides an upper shoulder 149 and a lower shoulder 151. The cars 145 of a pair of cars are provided with horizontal and aligned openings 153 and these openings are preferably circular.

The inner end of each blade is provided with a stationary tongue by which the blade is connected to the hub. This tongue is longitudinally aligned with the length of the blade and is provided with a transversely extending pin 155 which extends into the holes 153 in the ears 145. These pins are preferably circular in shape and the diameter thereof is smaller than the inside diameter of the holes 153. The inner end 157 of the tongue is disposed within the socket 147 of the hub 144. The dimensions, length, width and thickness of .the end 157 is less than the depth, width, and height of the socket 147.

' Thus, the difference in dimension of the end 157 of the tongue, with respect to the socket provides lost motion connections between the blade and the hub. In this respect to the diameter of holes l53 'is related seats to limit the swing to the desired'drag articulation angle and to limit the turning movement of. the blade necessary for varying the angle of incidence. Also, the top side 159 of the tongue end 157 forms a shoulder which is engageable with the shoulder 149 forming the upper part of. the slot 14-7 and the bottom 161 of the end 157 of the tongue formsa shoulder which is adapted to engage the shoulder 151 of, the slot 147, whereby the relative vertical movements of the blade, with respect to the fuselage, is limited. In one embodiment, a hole 163 is drilledtran'sversely hrough the tongue 15% and'the pin is press fitted into this hole.

From the foregoing, it is readily apparent that there has been provided a kite which flies readily and maintains, while in flight, a simulation of the helicopter or autogyro. It is simple in construction and can be manufactured at a relatively'low cost as, for example, most parts may be made from suitable plastic.

While the forms of embodiments herein shown and described constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms may be adopted falling within the scope of the claim that follows. a

We claim: 6 e

A kite simulating a helicopter or autogyro comprising in combination:

(A) An elongated fuselage having:

(1) a horizontal stabilizer'at the rear thereof; (2) and a vertical stabilizer at the rear thereof;

(B) a vertically extending bearing carried by the fuselage intermediate the mid-section and forward end of the fuselage;

(C) a hub rotatably carried by the upper'portion of the bearing, said hub having: a plurality of'substantially vertically extending pins;

(D) a plurality of rotor blades, each 'havinga substantially horizontally disposed, resilient section pivotally connected on said pins for horizontal.

swinging movementbodily of the blades relative to the hub in the mean plane of rotation of the blades; (3) and means on the hub directly engaged by the blade for limiting the bodily swing movements of the blades relative to the hub.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,181,477 11/39 Chupp 244 154 2,640,554 6/53 Campbell l70160.56X 2,931,132 4/60 Griessel 160.5 2,949,967 8/60 Jovanovich 170 160.53 3,022,967 2/62 Romeo 244 1s4 FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner. 

